Anyway, I finally have some free time so I decided to download Lady Layton on my iOS and I've finished about 3 cases now. It's enjoyable, but the puzzles are easier than PLvsAA, which is saying a lot. It reminds me of Layton Brothers with the case solving style but still sticks to the traditional Layton style in each case. It feels really weird.

Well there's the problem, they're treating Dolan Donald like a healer. In my experience, he's more like a bad Red Mage in FFXIV; he tosses out spells, occasionally heals when you don't need it, and is always out of MP when you need healing. The difference is that in KH, you can 100% rely on gitting gud to work around this.

"It's never too late to learn that growing old doesn't have to mean growing up. Stay curious, stay weird, stay kind, and don't let anyone ever tell you you aren't smart or brave or worthy enough." -Stanford Pines, Gravity Falls

I know this topic is old, but after discussing with somebody on YouTube comments, I just wanted to say Kanji from Persona 4 isn’t straight. lol No. At least not fullblown straight. I agree that his sexuality isn’t the main point of the character, but he isn’t straight. I think anyone who says otherwise is either lying to themselves or interpreting in incorrectly.

My view is: Kanji was attracted to Naoto when he thought she was a guy, and remained attracted to her when he “discovered” she is a girl. Therefore, Kanji is attracted to Naoto regardless of her gender, which probably puts him on the pan/bi spectrum. But he can’t be straight. His shadow wasn’t only about him enjoying feminine stuff, but also about repressed sexuality IMO.

I know this topic is old, but after discussing with somebody on YouTube comments, I just wanted to say Kanji from Persona 4 isn’t straight. lol No. At least not fullblown straight. I agree that his sexuality isn’t the main point of the character, but he isn’t straight. I think anyone who says otherwise is either lying to themselves or interpreting in incorrectly.

My view is: Kanji was attracted to Naoto when he thought she was a guy, and remained attracted to her when he “discovered” she is a girl. Therefore, Kanji is attracted to Naoto regardless of her gender, which probably puts him on the pan/bi spectrum. But he can’t be straight. His shadow wasn’t only about him enjoying feminine stuff, but also about repressed sexuality IMO.

I disagree. Mostly because, if you listen to what his shadow says and how he acts, as well as what Kanji says upon confronting his shadow, he admits that it was 'never about [his] orientation'. He just wanted to 'be accepted' because he had some typically feminine hobbies in the form of knitting little dolls and art.

But that's something that I don't like about the translation of P4. The way it ended up portraying Naoto and Kanji to the western audience. Their problems are very heavily based on the ingrained idea of 'feminine' and 'masculine' gender roles in Japan - which are still very big there. Naoto wants to join the police force, which is something that doesn't really have a lot of tolerance for women and many get the less 'exciting' jobs, if you want to call it that. (And her shadow saying she would change her gender is less about BEING a transgender and more about being the gender that WOULDN'T be ridiculed on the force) Kanji's hobbies are very feminine and, in Japan, diverting from this stereotype/ideal of being a 'man' can get you in a lot of hot water.

Spoiler: Danganronpa

It's the exact same reason as why Chihiro is crossdressing. He doesn't want to BE a woman, he just wants to be left alone because he isn't what Japanese people expect a boy to be.

@CatMuto C’mon. What he says means nothing, this “it was never about (...)” statement is completely vague and can be interpreted in multiple different ways. During the Investigation Team’s first meetings with the guy, we can see that he is completely nervous around Naoto. “I’m a guy, he is a guy, but he wants to talk to me...?” lol. He is completely insecure about his sexual orientation to the point a straight person wouldn’t normally be. He becomes frightened when Yousuke jokes about it (during the camp episode). It is a total sore spot for him. His shadow isn’t just about hobbies and gender roles. My interpretation of him has always been that he was into Naoto right from the beginning (while thinking she was a guy), but after he discovered she is a girl, he became more upfront/open about it because it is more socially acceptable. Of course, I may be wrong, but I don’t think so (I think my interpretation of him is the correct one).

Regarding Naoto, I never saw her as Transgender. I always thought she herself was kind of apathetic towards her gender, but wanted a male presentation because of the practical benefits it would bring to her in a society that was restricting her interests/self-expression. I’m not as confident about my interpretation of her as I am of my interpretation of Kanji, though.

Can I talk about how much I absolutely ADORE Super Mario Odyssey? I got it as a christmas present, and I've been in love with the game ever since. The thing I like the most about it is how creative it is. For almost 10 years Nintendo was content with recycling the same concepts and characters in each game. The last game that actually tried something new was the first Mario Galaxy, everything after that was too afraid to try anything new and played it way too safe, to the point everything felt incredibly stale. Mario Odyssey tries so many things that would never even be dreamed of in past installments; vastly distinct art styles for each level including both cartoony AND realistic designs for enemies and NPCs, so many costumes that make call backs to Mario's history, the unique capture mechanic replacing the need for different power ups, and so many more creative decisions that make it absolutely amazing. What i'm most excited is how it will influence the future of the series, including the spinoffs. Can you imagine Mario Kart for instance including tracks influenced by this game? It really gets me excited!

Can I talk about how much I absolutely ADORE Super Mario Odyssey? I got it as a christmas present, and I've been in love with the game ever since. The thing I like the most about it is how creative it is. For almost 10 years Nintendo was content with recycling the same concepts and characters in each game. The last game that actually tried something new was the first Mario Galaxy, everything after that was too afraid to try anything new and played it way too safe, to the point everything felt incredibly stale. Mario Odyssey tries so many things that would never even be dreamed of in past installments; vastly distinct art styles for each level including both cartoony AND realistic designs for enemies and NPCs, so many costumes that make call backs to Mario's history, the unique capture mechanic replacing the need for different power ups, and so many more creative decisions that make it absolutely amazing. What i'm most excited is how it will influence the future of the series, including the spinoffs. Can you imagine Mario Kart for instance including tracks influenced by this game? It really gets me excited!

Sure I'm having a tonne of fun with it. Having more fun with breath of the wild admittedly but that also is a Nintendo game that breaks the typical mold. It's just so fun to explore in and the combat is more engaging than I thought it would be.

For me the props really go to the Switch though. Console gaming on the go feels great for a commuter like me.

Made by Chesu+Zombee

You thought you could be safe in your courts, with your laws and attorneys to protect you. In this world only I am law, my word is fact, my power is absolute.

If anyone feels like playing Blue Reflection, let me tell you one thing to not expect: good lip-synching. The game only has a Japanese voice track, but the lip movements are... all over the place. The models make all sorts of lip movements, even when the voice track is something simple. I was freaking out a bit when Sanae was laughing a lot, just happy laughter, and her model kept moving her mouth very not-laugh-like. Can lead to some fun looks, though.

Since I am completely blind about this game - I only saw the cover and read the backcover before deciding to get the game - I have no idea what to make of the battle system and ways of leveling-up. You don't seem to gain any Growth Points from battles. Or, if you do, it's very little. Most of the growth for level up seems to come from obtaining the fragments. So, no idea if I am 'decently leveled' for where I am right now.I like the idea of upping certain parameter deciding what skill you learn next, which can allow for party members differing in 'specialty areas', but maybe an imbalance isn't good? Or I'll end up with everyone balanced by end-game? Not sure.

Ok, that's it, I'm gonna start saving for a Switch right this moment. Like holy crap every single thing I hear about this console just screams "buy it."

Most interesting thing is of course the new scenario. I'm hoping it adds a decent amount of content to the game but I wouldn't mind if it ended up mostly teasing a proper sequel that is already in the making.

Normally I wouldn’t pay any attention to a game like TWEWY, but seeing as how much people like it on here I’ll probably give it a go.

In general, that was a great direct. Seeing my favorite 2D platformer (Tropical Freeze), one of my favorite time-waster games (Hyrule Warriors), and fucking Dark Souls on Switch is pretty damn fantastic.

I also wouldn’t be surprised if we got a bigger direct fairly soon, as we still haven’t heard anything about the big upcoming titles.

Normally I wouldn’t pay any attention to a game like TWEWY, but seeing as how much people like it on here I’ll probably give it a go.

In general, that was a great direct. Seeing my favorite 2D platformer (Tropical Freeze), one of my favorite time-waster games (Hyrule Warriors), and fucking Dark Souls on Switch is pretty damn fantastic.

I also wouldn’t be surprised if we got a bigger direct fairly soon, as we still haven’t heard anything about the big upcoming titles.

Twewy was a unique mind gender of an experience. From its style, it's music to its bizarre control scheme. It's definitely an incredibly memorable game.

I love Hyrule Warriors too and was scunnered they didn't bring out the 3DS campaigns on the Wii U version as DLC but I don't know if I'd buy it again at full price.

Ugh, is it that bad? I was seriously considering buying FEW due to the lack of a Warriors game on Switch. Thank god HW is being re-released so I don't make the mistake of buying something like that.

While we're on the topic of Hyrule Warriors/Tropical Freeze, after seeing them announced for Switch as ports I went back and listened to their OSTs again, and holy shit both are incredible. I knew they were both really good, but I don't remember either being this good.

Ugh, is it that bad? I was seriously considering buying FEW due to the lack of a Warriors game on Switch. Thank god HW is being re-released so I don't make the mistake of buying something like that.

While we're on the topic of Hyrule Warriors/Tropical Freeze, after seeing them announced for Switch as ports I went back and listened to their OSTs again, and holy shit both are incredible. I knew they were both really good, but I don't remember either being this good.

That's legitimately how you meet Camilla and Hinoka (though Camilla is the most gratuitous offender).

Like...it's disappointing. I expected if any world would suit "Warriors" style gameplay it would be Fire Emblem! I mean...Hyrule Warriors at least tried to make something unique and new from it's story even if it used old favourites. In this it just seems like it's about getting the crew together with all your favourites (though really all the favourites for me are the side-characters rather than the main cast). I almost wish they had made it an independent game without the crossovers, then maybe I'd find it more interesting rather than having the same boring lead-cast as the other games (except my bro Xander, he's awesome).

Made by Chesu+Zombee

You thought you could be safe in your courts, with your laws and attorneys to protect you. In this world only I am law, my word is fact, my power is absolute.

Ugh, is it that bad? I was seriously considering buying FEW due to the lack of a Warriors game on Switch. Thank god HW is being re-released so I don't make the mistake of buying something like that.

While we're on the topic of Hyrule Warriors/Tropical Freeze, after seeing them announced for Switch as ports I went back and listened to their OSTs again, and holy shit both are incredible. I knew they were both really good, but I don't remember either being this good.

That's legitimately how you meet Camilla and Hinoka (though Camilla is the most gratuitous offender).

Like...it's disappointing. I expected if any world would suit "Warriors" style gameplay it would be Fire Emblem! I mean...Hyrule Warriors at least tried to make something unique and new from it's story even if it used old favourites. In this it just seems like it's about getting the crew together with all your favourites (though really all the favourites for me are the side-characters rather than the main cast). I almost wish they had made it an independent game without the crossovers, then maybe I'd find it more interesting rather than having the same boring lead-cast as the other games (except my bro Xander, he's awesome).

One of my favorite parts of Hyrule Warriors was how they integrated all the universes with each other. The story reasoning was kind of random, but I really enjoyed how each character reacted to the other characters and issues from the different universes. It's a shame that Fire Emblem Warriors doesn't do the same.

I'm curious as to what franchise they'll try next with the Warriors style. The only one that would really fit the gameplay as of right now is Xenoblade (Xenoblade Warriors would be fuckin fantastic) but that might be a bit too niche compared to Zelda and Fire Emblem.

@Thunder84 Emphasizing what everyone already said, TWEWY is really unique and one of a kind. I normally don’t really think most Square games are that great, but TWEWY is one of those original games who explore the potential of the console to the fullest.

About the Switch, Shin Megami Tensei V alone is enough reason to make me buy one

... AGAIN. You know, there's referencing old stuff... and then there is reusing plot elements. And they did it badly here because it acts like the original occurence of this happening never actually happened.

Spoiler: SOJ: Case 5

Whow. Maya has been kidnapped... AGAIN. You know, like back in 2-4. And yet Phoenix acts like 2-4 never happened because... plot. I suppose. We need drama, bitches!

... AGAIN. You know, there's referencing old stuff... and then there is reusing plot elements. And they did it badly here because it acts like the original occurence of this happening never actually happened.

Spoiler: SOJ: Case 5

Whow. Maya has been kidnapped... AGAIN. You know, like back in 2-4. And yet Phoenix acts like 2-4 never happened because... plot. I suppose. We need drama, bitches!

I agree.

I finished Hollow Knight. It's just what I needed to scratch that Metroidvania itch I've had for a while.

"It's never too late to learn that growing old doesn't have to mean growing up. Stay curious, stay weird, stay kind, and don't let anyone ever tell you you aren't smart or brave or worthy enough." -Stanford Pines, Gravity Falls

... AGAIN. You know, there's referencing old stuff... and then there is reusing plot elements. And they did it badly here because it acts like the original occurence of this happening never actually happened.

Spoiler: SOJ: Case 5

Whow. Maya has been kidnapped... AGAIN. You know, like back in 2-4. And yet Phoenix acts like 2-4 never happened because... plot. I suppose. We need drama, bitches!

Yeah, probably my least favourite part of the game just because of how contrived it was.

I found out that Dissidia NT is coming out tomorrow (Jan 30th) here, so I will be buying that. I am waiting for Idolmaster: Stellar Stage to arrive, but... it's an import, so it'll likely not appear for another two weeks-ish.

...having played some Dissidia NT by now... gotta say the game sucks. You only have 1 VS 1 battles in training mode; the rest is always 3 VS 3. The story is locked behind 'Memoria' that you have to collect, and then use on each circle in story mode, to unlock that part. You start with 1, so all you can view is the prologue. So, first thing you have to do - instead of playing through the plot, which might be one big reason why you bought the game - is to play some of the 3 VS 3 battles, so you can collect some Memoria and actually start some more of the story. Which still mostly consists of prologue-esque cutscenes.

I'm returning this game tomorrow. Thank goodness I didn't unlock an achievement yet.This feels like an arcade version badly put onto a console.

I found out that Dissidia NT is coming out tomorrow (Jan 30th) here, so I will be buying that. I am waiting for Idolmaster: Stellar Stage to arrive, but... it's an import, so it'll likely not appear for another two weeks-ish.

...having played some Dissidia NT by now... gotta say the game sucks. You only have 1 VS 1 battles in training mode; the rest is always 3 VS 3. The story is locked behind 'Memoria' that you have to collect, and then use on each circle in story mode, to unlock that part. You start with 1, so all you can view is the prologue. So, first thing you have to do - instead of playing through the plot, which might be one big reason why you bought the game - is to play some of the 3 VS 3 battles, so you can collect some Memoria and actually start some more of the story. Which still mostly consists of prologue-esque cutscenes.

I'm returning this game tomorrow. Thank goodness I didn't unlock an achievement yet.This feels like an arcade version badly put onto a console.

I didn't buy it. Lost out to monster hunter and DBFZ in my eyes but I'm curious. What single player modes does the game have?

Made by Chesu+Zombee

You thought you could be safe in your courts, with your laws and attorneys to protect you. In this world only I am law, my word is fact, my power is absolute.

The game has offline 'Gauntlet Mode', where you are put into 6 consecutive battles that are all 3 VS 3. Though you can choose to either make it a 'regular' battle or a Core battle, where your goal is to keep the opponents away from their core, so you can destroy it. I wouldn't say it's bad, and I probably haven't seen all the levels the game offers, but they seem a bit lackluster. I know that I didn't recognize Narshe, unless the game labeled that level as Narshe from FF VI.

I might get Monster Hunter World... I'm not sure. I'll probably look at some gameplay first, though my boyfriend says it's really good. I dunno; last Monster Hunter game I watched seemed meh. But it might be one of those games that's more fun to play yourself, rather than just watch.

But with returns and changes, I got my hands on the steelbook edition of Persona 5. Once my migraine gets a bit better, I'll fire it up and see how the translation turned out.

Nngh that's disappointing. That's basically all there was in the beta. I was hoping for more modes as that was just like an arcade mode, except without any of the tiny story adjustments other fighting games put in their arcade modes.

Yeah I wonder what the sales figures will be. Feel Dissidia will be crushed by monster hunter and fighterz

Made by Chesu+Zombee

You thought you could be safe in your courts, with your laws and attorneys to protect you. In this world only I am law, my word is fact, my power is absolute.

Well, that's what they get for slapping an arcade game onto a console, without bothering to alter anything to make it a console game. But I admit, I didn't do all that much in the game, so there might be more. But I don't think you unlock more stuff beyond little gifts... like collectibles: avatars and such.

Secret of Mana can crash! It crashed after a boss fight for me.I looked online and, apparently, the game crashing is a (common) problem? I've read of people getting a crash after defeating Spikey Tiger. Guess I'm lucky this is my first crash. Haven't saved in a bit, so I do have to re-tread the Ice Country section (since my game crashed at the boss fight before finding Salamando) and regain the Weapon Levels, but... it thankfully wasn't that much of a loss I got. And I think the game has an auto-save function... if not, whatever. About 10-20 minutes of lost time.

All in all pretty wonderful, the twists weren't quite as good as the first game but that's a hard thing to match. I feel the story beats are about on par with the previous game but better paced. The episodic structure ensuring that they always (mostly) end in a huge set piece that's dramatic and intense. Some of the story nuances about the final battle in particular I thought were cool.

The voice acting is a little bit of a letdown. Hearing all the American accents on the blades made some of the other accents sound sillier by comparison. Especially Rex augh. He cannot do screams of anguish and the story makes him do them so often. Comparing him to the drama and intensity of Shulk doesn't help because Shulk was a far superior voice. I did love including different countries accents I mean...sure the Scottish accent is a joke for the most part due to all the generic soldiers shouting "Don't ferget mey!" and "Yah dun!" everywhere. However some of the serious Scottish characters are voiced wonderfully which is...just nice hearing that represented well.

Gameplay is great too, by god with all the endgame powerups and some of the special abilities I can feel like a Beyblade the amount "Double Spinning Edge" pops off cooldown. Only problem I'd say is really the opportunities to gain "Trust" with a blade seem to few. This locks away quests and other content and by endgame when I've done most of the quests I feel like I don't have many reasonable ways to farm this short of monotonous shopping and shovelling food into people.

Oh yeah and the waypoint marker sucks on occasion.

All in all I'm pretty interested in playing New Game plus, if only to use more of the quests to increase Trust.

Made by Chesu+Zombee

You thought you could be safe in your courts, with your laws and attorneys to protect you. In this world only I am law, my word is fact, my power is absolute.

Rex definitely did not leave an impact on me, and I wouldn't be surprised if his voice had something to do with it. I absolutely loved Mòrag's voice, though (then again, I just like Mòrag in general; she and Dromarch are my two favorite characters). Regarding the American accents for the Blades, I'm guessing that was primarily to establish them as an ethnicity (Ardainians have Scottish accents, Gormottis have Welsh accents, and so on). Still, a wider variety of American accents might have been a nice way of mirroring the diversity we saw in non-Blades' accents. Maybe they could have given each element a specific American accent (for example, Dahlia's accent could be for all Ice Blades rather than just her, Fire Blades could have Yooper accents, Earth Blades could have Boston accents, and so on).

Yes Morag was definitely the best character. Possibly followed by Zeke then Poppi (a) for me. Having a nice serious party member while not making them too grim or too full of it was a lovely change of pace.

I remember one quest I finished, an Ardainian scholar offered to pay me a reward with his surplus research funds. Morag drops this brilliant overbearing line about how the Ardainian tax payers money was being used and he withdrew the entire reward abashedly. It's wonderful having a party member with some actual clout. I really like how the Ardainian empire was handled in general. It wasn't just your typical evil empire as some of the opening chapters made it seem.

Also the weird harem thing with Rex is majorly uncomfortable for me. Especially when the women are literally objects and weapons...and Rex is notably underage

Made by Chesu+Zombee

You thought you could be safe in your courts, with your laws and attorneys to protect you. In this world only I am law, my word is fact, my power is absolute.

You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot post attachments in this forum